Even as Peyton Manning’s right ankle throbs, the Broncos’ front still is No. 2 in the league at protecting its quarterback.

Manning has been sacked 13 times in 372 pass attempts. Only Detroit’s Matthew Stafford has been dumped less frequently, with 10 sacks in 373 attempts.

The problem is the direction Manning’s sack totals have been trending. He was dropped only five times in his first six games. In the past three games, he has been sacked eight times.

“It’s part of football,” Manning said. “Every week, you go out and you never know what type of identity a game is going to take on. Everybody is fighting every single play to do their job, and that’s all they have to do. We’ll have our hands full this week against these guys.”

Indeed, here come the 9-0 Kansas City Chiefs with a defense that has a league-most 36 sacks.

It’s getting to where Manning can’t always practice. He participated in the Broncos’ morning walkthrough Wednesday, but not the team’s practice because of his troublesome high right ankle sprain. Manning initially suffered the injury in Game 6 against Jacksonville, and it has been aggravated a couple times since.

Manning took a particularly forceful blow to the area just above his right ankle Sunday when he was hit by San Diego defensive end Corey Liuget late in the Broncos’ 28-20 victory.

Manning is expected to practice Thursday at the Broncos’ Dove Valley headquarters and play Sunday night against the Chiefs.

“I know Peyton Manning, and he’ll be ready to go,” Chiefs coach Andy Reid said during a conference call with the Denver media.

But after not missing a practice from the time he signed with the team in March 2012 until Oct. 23 this year, Manning has missed four in the past three weeks, including two during the bye week.

For a quarterback renowned for his preparation, missing practice is a big deal. He missed a Wednesday practice Oct. 23 before the Broncos’ game against the Washington Redskins and seemed prepared well enough, throwing for 354 yards and four touchdowns in a 45-21 romp. Then again, he also threw a season-most three interceptions.

“I believe in practice. I believe there is a reason for it,” Manning said. “So it’s certainly my preference to be out there, but at the same time I’m trying to do what’s best for the team, and in order for me to get healthy.”

As Manning walked to, and from, the podium for his weekly news conference, he did so without a limp. He reiterated his confidence in playing Sunday night.

Mike Klis was with The Denver Post from Jan. 1, 1998 before leaving in 2015 to join KUSA 9News. He covered the Rockies and Major League Baseball until the 2005 All-Star break, when he was asked to start covering the Broncos.

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